Latest Posts - Page 90 of 204

September 21, 2020September 17, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Responding To Change – An Agile Value

In this episode, we reach the fourth and final value statement. There is a larger value in responding to change than following a plan. Planning is essential but reacting is even better. Thus, we have another value of the Agile Manifesto that compares two things in a “1 A” and “1 B” prioritization. However, these two concepts work together to provide us an effective way to navigate project challenges. …Through this work we have come to value:… Responding to change over following a plan Make A Solid Plan Planning has many benefits. While we may not enjoy the process, few argue that it is a waste of time. I like to view it as a form of practice for the event... Read more

September 18, 2020September 11, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation

Software development works best when everyone is on the same team. We need to pull together to be most effective. However, the sub-groups and members of a team have differing goals. That is why we have things like contracts. We sometimes have to put down our plans and goals in writing. Negotiating these things can be tedious and even can cause some negative feelings. Therefore, we value customer collaboration over contracts. …Through this work we have come to value:… Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Differing Values and Concerns We can all agree that some people lack honor. Some people and organizations are a step above thieves. I find those to be uncommon and an issue not worth worrying about for this... Read more

September 16, 2020September 11, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation

We started this season with a focus on satisfying the customer. Since then, we have built a case for working software being the best way to achieve satisfaction. Thus, comprehensive documentation is valuable. However, not as useful to our primary goal. Agile is often painted as anti-documentation so let’s dig deeper into this comment that could be used as evidence. …Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation We Value X Over Y The opening section of this summary says we value all of the listed items. Rating one over the other does not mean the lesser has no value. For example, you prefer breathing over food. Would you argue... Read more

September 14, 2020September 10, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Individuals and Interactions Over Processes And Tools

We shift slightly in our tour of the Agile Manifesto to focus on the opening statements. In this episode, we dig into the value of individuals and interactions while acknowledging processes and tools. The essential point in these opening statements is that all of these are valuable. However, we find some to have more value than others. This valuation should help us decide on how to make decisions and move forward with a project. We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools A Slave To Your Tools There is a well-known bit of wisdom that says when you... Read more

September 11, 2020September 4, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Twelve Principles of the Agile Manifesto

We take a look at overall ideas from the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto before moving on. There are some challenging concepts mixed in among recommendations that are very common. All of these can be applied in areas other than software development. Likewise, their efficacy is seen there as well. We follow these principles: Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. The Twelve Principles When we look at these observations and recommendations, there are themes that appear. We also can see how software projects relate to projects in other areas or lines of business. There are foundational concepts of a good team, working together, buy-in, and communication. Some of the... Read more

September 9, 2020September 2, 2020 The Agile Manifesto

Reflect on How To Become More Effective, Then Tune And Adjust

The final principle of the Agile Manifesto directs us to reflect on a project. We follow those eleven principles and then evaluate how we did so we can become more effective. This recommendation should not be a surprise. We can only improve when we examine how we did on a task. However, this principle points to the entire team taking that step. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly. The Agile Goal is to Become More Effective We started the twelve principles with a focus on satisfying the customer. This focus is our “why” for building software. This final principle presents us with a “why” for using the... Read more